NBA REPORT.

Here's The Point: Stoudamire Wants To Head South

Toronto Guard Unlikely To Go To N.y.

January 20, 1998|By Sam Smith. and Sam Smith covers the National Basketball Association for the Tribune.

Scottie Pippen's blatant courtship of other teams seems to be on hold for a while, but not Damon Stoudamire's.

Stoudamire, who rhapsodized last week about playing for the Houston Rockets, said Saturday after his Toronto Raptors lost to New York that the Knicks need point guard help and he would love to play in New York.

"Man, that would be a great place to play," said Stoudamire, who is a free agent after the season and is expected to be traded by the Raptors in February. "There's nothing like (Madison Square) Garden. I'm not going to sit here and say it would be my No. 1 choice. In the past, they had a lot of problems at point (guard). It always seemed like when you watched them play, like in Game 7 last year (against Miami), Tim Hardaway had 38 points or whatever. It has been one of their Achilles' heels over the years. Opposing teams' point guards always seem to play big against them in big games. With the things I can do, I would be good on that team."

He's not likely to go there, though, because the Knicks have little of value and thus far refuse to part with Allan Houston, who may not be enough to get Stoudamire anyway.

The Knicks are said to be one of five teams pursuing Stoudamire, along with Houston, Portland (for Kenny Anderson), Orlando (throwing in Golden State's No. 1 pick) and Philadelphia.

The Heat continues to try for Mitch Richmond, although nothing is close yet, and there are rumors the Pacers could make a run at Richmond in a three-way deal that sends Stoudamire to Sacramento. The Hawks are angling for Golden State's Joe Smith to move in at small forward and reportedly are offering Alan Henderson and other considerations.

Moves such as these could change the balance of power in the East if Atlanta finally fills its small forward spot, or the Heat or the Pacers get another All-Star.

Are they all smelling the Bulls' blood in the water?

Great pretenders: It didn't take B.J. Armstrong long to make the Charlotte Hornets a championship contender.

"They have it all," says Charles Barkley. "They have a really good chance to win the championship. They're terrific. They have great starters. They have a great bench. They have no weaknesses. They're just one of the best teams in the league, bar none."

The Hornets, who are here Wednesday to meet the Bulls, have slumped some since Barkley's proclamation, most notably reigning All-Star MVP Glen Rice, who had shot 5 of 15, 3 of 17 and 4 of 17 going into Monday night's game. And the same complaint Rice and Anthony Mason raised earlier this season--that they don't get the ball enough from new guards David Wesley and Bobby Phills--came up again.

"It would be nice to touch the ball a little more," said Rice. "It's easy to guard a pole because it doesn't move. When you're standing out there you play right into the hands of the defense. I have to have more movement. I'm not going to accept that."

But that's less of a problem for the Hornets than Vlade Divac's knee surgery, which may keep him out two months.

Which doesn't help Divac, a free agent like fellow center Matt Geiger. And Divac was talking about big money.

"Considering all the other centers, what they make and what I can do, I would think ($10 million a year) is about right," said Divac, fourth on his team in scoring, third in assists and second in rebounding though not among the league leaders in any category. "It's about money, no question."

Geiger, who now moves into a starting role, had been talking about being traded and the Knicks and Pistons were said to have been in pursuit. Which all apparently changes for now.

As for Armstrong, who rarely plays for Charlotte, he's not convinced yet the Hornets are a threat to the Bulls.

"We're just like a lot of teams that made a lot of off-season transactions," said Armstrong. "You try to put it together and hopefully it comes together at some point. Chicago is the champion. Until somebody beats them, it's just a lot of talk."

Tooting Van Horn: Now no one's saying Keith Van Horn isn't a bright guy, but the Nets' rookie star says he was a little concerned when traded to New Jersey.

"I knew it was next to New York," said Van Horn, "but I didn't know which side."

The Bulls get another look at the Nets' phenom later this week and Van Horn has had just one problem, in addition to some questionable defense. He's white.

"It's something he is going to have to deal with," said Tom Gugliotta of comments, most notably by the Pistons' Brian Williams that Van Horn was merely a "Great White Hope."

"Let's face it," said Gugliotta, "there are not a lot of real good white players in this league. So when one comes along, he's going to hear that. He has to understand comparisons to Larry Bird aren't going to help him."

Van Horn may be more like Michael Jordan, at least in media savvy. At one recent practice, the Nets' exciting rookie did radio interviews before and after the two-hour session, TV interviews for NBC and MTV and a long sit-down interview with a magazine. And then said he loved it.